As we move forward into the long holiday weekend, let's remember who it was that created the entire concept of "the weekend" in the first place: the worker-activists we know collectively as the labor movement. This Saturday, we can stand in solidarity with those struggling on the front lines of today's labor movement, and I promise it won't take any of your time and it won't cost you a dime.
While I certainly don't demean the intentions and hard work of the Obama and Edwards supporters, the reality is that Clinton already has the nomination in the bag. All their hard work will be for naught, all their contributed dollars money thrown away. Simple reason: the entire establishment, media, political and financial, have chosen her as the Democratic nominee, and anyone that by this late date doesn't understand the significance of such an elite consensus simply hasn't been paying attention to the dominant trends in American society for reaching two generations now.
Are you tired of waiting? Tired of waiting for someone else to start the ball rolling to bring the troops home from Iraq? Tired of waiting for the politicians to stand up, for the press to speak up, for the established peace organizations to step up? Tired of hearing about how the netroots are all talk and no action? Are you ready to flex your power as a citizen, the power of We, the People? Are you ready to be a volunteer for America? If that's you, then the Iraq Moratorium Bloggers want you, because together we can make a difference, we do have the power!
Volunteers of America: now it's time for you and me...
Yesterday in the wake of the vote on the Iraq supplemental, I was doing my usual thing, agitatin' for people to take action, suggesting the idea of working toward an Iraq Moratorium Day as a way for We, the People to take the intiative back and put the politicians on notice. Imagine my surprise today when I found an overnight front page post from Meteor Blades, Marching Toward an Iraq War Moratorium. It looks like it's put up or shut up time. Thanks MB! (I think...)
First, though, credit where credit is due, the idea of an Iraq Moratorium Day was first introduced here by lao hong han, and laid out in detail over at Fire on the Mountain. In extended, some thoughts in response to MB's post and some of the comments there.
As we've seen repeatedly discussed here in the past few days, and according to syndicated columist Dale McFeatters:
In Washington, there’s a sense that whole issues of the war will come to a head in September...
The month was specifically referenced 15 times by Tony Snow and the White House reporters at the press secretary’s briefing last Thursday.
In September, members of Congress will be returning from their long August recess, when they will have heard an earful from constituents...
September is the end of the federal fiscal year, and soon after that the Bush administration will have to submit another war-funding bill under vastly changed political circumstances.
Most importantly, in September the U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, is to submit a report on the progress of the war and the effectiveness of the Baghdad security plan...
September is shaping up as the make-or-break month on the war for the Bush administration.
What can peace activists do to help make September that break?
Are you now, or have you ever been, precarious? Are you working temp or part-time, contingent or "subcontracted", flexploited labor? Are you an "assistant manager" on salary in a chain store, unlimited hours and no benefits? Is your neighborhood in the sights of a real estate developer? Is your company shifting work overseas? Are they hiring undocumented workers at ridiculously low wages? If so, then you're precarious. (More below on the fact that the undocumented worker is the most precarious of all.)
Are contemporary neoliberal government policies of social disinvestment gutting your schools, filling privatized jails with your pot-smoking neighbors and relatives, leaving your levees to burst? How high do gas prices have to go before it doesn't even make sense to commute to your job anymore? What happens to you and your family if you get sick? Are you like the Little Mermaid, minding your own business, struggling but getting by, and then in a split second...
Let us never forget. Let us remember that only we can pick up the banner of those who fell under the cruel bullets of hate. Let us work to forge a future, of justice, peace, and solidarity.
It's easy to sit back and criticize the politicians and others in the public eye for failing to act effectively to bring the occupation of Iraq to a close. And yet, if we aren't doing everything within our power as citizens to make our voices heard, how are we any better?
Over the next ten days, more than 1000 local antiwar events will be held in every state of the union, and of course, DC. If we want our Congressmembers to take a stand, then it's our responsibility to take a stand as well. I'll do my part, I'll be participating in three different events over the next ten days. And I'm providing all Kossacks with links to the three main lists of upcoming antiwar events. Check the lists and find an event near you that you can participate in!
Today's swastika comes emblazoned with a smiley face logo. Don't look to the totalitarian regimes of days gone by for guidance on what American fascism can look like, look more to the power practices of those institutions which dominate our culture today: corporations.
The last great dominant industry in the United States is marketing, promotion, sales: making people desirous of and comfortable with things that they neither need, nor in any real sense want; that are in fact often harmful to them. As a nation of consumers, all of us to some degree have been conditioned to respond to marketing. Today’s fascism is market-savvy and consumer-tested, it’s a new, improved Friendly Fascism.
In a January article for zmag, Aaron Kreider writes:
For most people, online activism equals an inbox full of email. Our participation is restricted and we generally act as passive consumers. For most groups, they struggle to make their small static website interesting (if they have one at all!) and to distribute an email newsletter – mastering the possibilities of the dynamic web lies far beyond their grasp.
We need to develop a community of activists and web developers, create web sites that share, develop central repositories of information, increase our efficiency, and develop new forms of online activism that dramatically increase participation.
And doesn't all that sound familiar?
While Kreider is writing of left movement politics generally, much of what he says in the article is specifically true of today's peace movement. I can't imagine a better place than this right here to begin answering that need. The progressive netroots have what the antiwar movement needs to build a more effective online infrastructure. Let's talk about it.
This diary contains the internet's most comprehensive list of local support events nationwide to be held in conjunction with the DC antiwar march. With 50% more activist goodness than on UFPJ's own site! Over 150 events in 45 states. (Sorry, couldn't find anything in DE, WV, MS, SD and WY. Also, all the GA and TN local events are on Friday.)
First of all thank you to everyone who participated in today's actions, and to all those who helped get the word out over the past 48 hours. The MoveOn site alone counts almost 500 events, while the AmericaSaysNo page doesn't seem to give a number that I can find. The two lists had some overlap, but many events were listed only on one or another, there's a good bet that somewhere between 600-800 events took place tonight.
For all those who participated here's a diary to use to report back on the event you attended tonight!
"For it isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it" ~Eleanor Roosevelt
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3000 Remembered
A Campaign for Antiwar Academics
January Action
Screenpeace Film Festival
Antiwar Diary Rescue & Web Roundup Plus music videos, pictures, & more!
No, it's not another silly name-recognition 2008 horserace poll. It's not even another case of Bush falling to all-time lows, sweet as those are. This is more significant. It's not about American attitudes toward the war in Iraq, or even Iraqi attitudes toward the US occupation. It's even more significant than any of those, and it contradicts much or all of the conventional wisdom about American attitudes about the world.
